Demon Slayer: Mugen Train Arc

“Is Season 2 Worth Watching?”

Do you have a mentor to whom you owe much in life? They could be a teacher, lecturer, supervisor, or even your own family and friends. Our lives would not be the same without them, and we surely wouldn’t be who we are if they weren’t a part of our lives. Did you ever get to tell them how much they meant to you in some shape or form? Are they even around anymore to receive your conveyed feelings? Perhaps not, so all we can do is hope that they knew exactly how we felt before they passed or that our prayers reach them now. But most importantly, we must strive to put the immeasurable values they instilled in us to good use and carry their will forward to honor both them and ourselves!

“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train Arc," also known as “Kimetsu no Yaiba Movie: Mugen Ressha-hen,” is a 7-episode TV anime series that aired from the 10th of October to the 28th of November in Fall 2021. It was produced by Aniplex and Shueisha and brought to life by Studio ufotable. The primary staff behind it included Miyake Masanori, Takahashi Yuuma, and Fujio Akifumi as producers, and Sotozaki Haruo as director, episode director, and storyboard. It featured action and fantasy alongside the historical theme, catering to the Shounen demographic. This series of 24-minute episodes earned a rating of R-17+ for its violence and profanity.

This show serves as Season 2 of the Demon Slayer series, featuring a canon arc from the source manga of the same name, which adapts events from Chapters 54 to 66. At the same time, the first episode alone remains an anime original. The manga also goes by the alternate name “Blade of Demon Destruction," which ran for 23 volumes from the 15th of February 2016 till the 18th of May 2020. It is the work of author and artist Gotouge Koyoharu and was serialized in Shounen Jump (Weekly).

An alternate version of the season exists in the form of “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Movie: Mugen Train," which aired on the 16th of October 2020 and was licensed by Aniplex of America, with a runtime of 1 hour and 56 minutes. The prequel series “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba” aired for a total of 26 episodes in Spring 2019, while the sequel series “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Entertainment District Arc” (“Kimetsu no Yaiba: Yuukaku-hen”) ran for 11 episodes in Winter 2022.

Following the events of Season 1, the Demon Slayer Corps turns their attention to a mysterious and ominous string of disappearances aboard a particular train. In response, they send one of their best combatants, the Flame Hashira Kyoujurou Rengoku, to investigate and exterminate the highly likely demon responsible. But things appear to be hectic from the onset, as his plan to board the Mugen Train himself ends up getting delayed by the appearance of a lesser demon who is both terrorizing the train mechanics and targeting an older woman and her granddaughter for some reason.

Following his strong principles, the Hashira eliminates this threat before boarding the train. Meanwhile, the series protagonists Tanjirou Kamado, Nezuko Kamado, Inosuke Hashira, and Zenitsu Agatsuma have also been sent to assist Rengoku and thus board the train prepared to fight. But their foe this time is both monstrous and cunning, having already formulated a devious plan to accommodate both the Demon Slayers and the 200 passengers aboard the death train. By delving deep into the humans’ consciousness, this elusive demon intends to kill everyone with an exaggerated display of the power of the Twelve Kizuki. What’s more, even if they overcome the perils of the train, a more significant threat looms on the horizon...

A big question many people have is if they should watch Season 2 if they’ve already watched the movie, which was spectacular. This series is merely a remake of the film, with a few bonuses to not make it a 1:1 copy. The first episode is an anime original, covering a few non-so-critical events before Rengoku boards the train. Nothing is impressive about it content-wise, but you can bet your socks that the visuals are as stunning as ever in typical, ufotable fashion.

Episodes 2 onwards cover the movie events but with some additional dialogue, new scenes, and camera angles with improved visuals. You can also expect the post-credit short “Taisho-Era Secrets," which features new comedic skits between characters. If you watched the movie, the series' pacing would undoubtedly feel slower to you, and the episode recaps are unnecessarily long, which they’ve done to fill the time. As for whether you should watch it or not: No, you needn’t watch it unless you want to experience the Arc again with a few minutes worth of new content. If you have the time to spare and want to see it, just binge it.

There’s nothing new and essential in the Story department. The plot progresses slower here and takes time to explain small details we might have missed in the movie. Regardless, the repeated story is just as good as you remember it to be, and it doesn’t necessarily bore you, but knowing what will happen dampens the effect. We needed more Rengoku content, which is probably as far as that could go, and the first episode expanded on his character more and made the outcome of the Arc much more "impactful." Thanks to the fantastic visuals and audio, the action scenes still get you pumped, and it peaks in the final battle between Rengoku and Akaza.

They focused more on Rengoku in the character department, which I loved. We didn’t get much of him in Season 1, so it was pleasing that this season worked to introduce him to us properly, explore his character, and even showcase his development over such a short time. This is character writing done right! The leading group is the same as you remember: loud, rambunctious, and try-hard, but still very kind and human at their cores.

Each of them also got more screen time, but whether that’s beneficial depends on your preferences. I love Zenitsu and Inosuke’s antics; the siblings shine in emotional moments and battles. Tanjiro’s little character arc within the dreams is driven home here; I felt my respect for our protagonist rising anew. As for the antagonists, Enmu was as diabolical as I remember, and my urge to punch him whenever he glorified the Kizuki only grew, while Akaza was just downright badass.

He is my favorite antagonist in KnY, a man of principle who fought and respected Rengoku until the end. I can't wait for his character arc in the Infinity Castle Arc; no matter how much I love Rengoku, I just can’t hate this particular Demon. Overall, they did a fantastic job with character development for just seven episodes, which only added to what the movie established.

Do I need to say anything about the art and animation department? Ufotable is one of the best visual studios (if not “The” best). Demon Slayer is a testament to that fact because, let’s be honest, the story itself isn’t remarkable. They took Gotouge-sensei’s art style and put their unique spin on it, the result being on another level entirely. The character designs are the same; nothing has changed, and this is a good thing; every one is distinct and memorable with clashing personalities (in a good way).

The animation is ethereal; there’s no better word to describe it, and you must experience it yourself. Nothing in this department would disappoint you; it’s the main reason why this “redo” can stand on its own two legs. The action is god-tier; I felt that they used better effects in the season, which look amazing against the dark backdrop of night. The color palette is just as vibrant and popping out of the screen as you remember; so many stunning shades of blues, reds, oranges, and others are in perfect harmony! Even though the CGI is solid, I feel it looks better on the big screen.

The Sounds and Music department is only second to the visuals. The opening theme is "Akeboshi" by LiSA, and the ending theme is "Shirogane" also by LiSA, while they stuck with "Homura" by LiSA for Episode 7. LiSA did a stellar job here; “Akeboshi” is dramatic and ominous, but it also has this hopeful side. “Shirogane” exemplifies the high stakes of the battles being waged, bringing with it the strength of the Corps as well. Last but not least, “Homura” is the perfect tearjerker for the finale, and you will be hit with the same pain of loss from the movie. The OSTs don’t stand out as much, but they suited the situations and heightened the battles. The voice actors are consistent, revealing each character's personality and traits. My favorite is Akira Ishida as Akaza; demonic, powerful, and rampant yet disciplined; this VA can do no wrong!

As I stated, you don’t need to watch Season 2 if you already saw the movie. But if you have FOMO, do what I did and just watch the first episode and the Taisho-Era Secret segments. If you are an avid fan, watch it because it has decent character development, next-level visuals, and memorable audio. You probably won’t be bored, even though you know what will happen. If I had any complaints, they could have created more original anime content with the mangaka's permission, like they did with Episode 1. However, if there were budgetary constraints and the possibility of messing up the manga story, then the safe route is the best. I highly recommend it if you haven’t watched the movie because this arc is 100% canon and very important!